Key Aspects:
- Carnival Corporation revealed a double-digit rise in bookings in the first quarter of 2026.
- The company’s eight brands had record revenues of $6.2 billion.
- Occupancy rates across the lines held steady at 103%.
Carnival Corporation reported a first-quarter bonanza on March 27, 2026, with results showing bookings for the year up by double digits, along with record revenue.
As parent company to eight major cruise brands across the globe, Carnival Corporation’s strong performance bodes well for the industry as a whole.
The cruise giant owns popular brands that cruisers worldwide embrace: Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and the luxury lines Seabourn and Cunard.
Its financial first quarter ran from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, which is prime Wave Season, when cruise lines offer special promotions and perks in a bid to get as many advance reservations on the books as possible.
According to the conglomerate’s results, fully 85% of scheduled cruises across the brands in 2026 are already booked, with guest deposits reaching upward of $8 billion — that’s nearly 10% more than the same timeframe in 2025.
“We delivered an incredibly strong start to the year, achieving our highest level of bookings ever on strong demand that extended well into 2028 sailings,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.
“Bookings for 2026 were up double digits, which further pulled forward our already record booked position for the remainder of the year at historically high prices (in constant currency),” added Weinstein.
The CEO, who did not specify the exact double-digit rise, has plenty to celebrate, since the company posted record-breaking revenues of $6.2 billion and net income of $258 million.
In the corporation’s first-quarter stats, the occupancy rate percentage across the brands held steady at 103%, the same as in first-quarter 2025.
Holland America Line, one of the company’s premium brands, has had a particularly good few months. The line reported in early January 2026 that it was experiencing a major booking spike for Europe cruises.
In fact, demand rose by 30% overall and by 50% on itineraries featuring Northern Europe. The brand’s Wave Season deals, promoted under the tagline Start Your Journey, offered reduced deposits, up to 30% cruise fare discounts, and up to $500 in onboard credits, among other benefits.
What About Those Rising Fuel Prices?
Since Carnival Corporation’s financial results pertain to a time period that ended on February 28, 2026, the effects of higher fuel prices due to the Iran war are not evident. In fact, the military campaign that has rocked the price of oil began on the same day that Carnival Corporation’s first quarter ended.
That said, the company did refer to the ongoing issue in the Concerning Factors section of its first-quarter report, noting: “Increases in fuel costs, changes in the types of fuel consumed and availability of fuel supply may adversely impact our scheduled itineraries and costs.”
Two cruise lines have already implemented fuel surcharges. Asia-based StarCruises and Dream Cruises, both owned by Resorts World Cruises, notified booked passengers that fuel surcharges of HKD (Hong Kong Dollar) 200 (about $25 USD) and SGD (Singapore Dollar) 15 (about $11.70 USD), respectively, would be added to fares.
The surcharges took effect on March 20. None of the Carnival Corporation brands have so far moved to enact fuel surcharges.
